Fan construction



Nov. 4, 1947. A. F. voczoNNoR FAN CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 3, 1945 Patented Nov. 4, 1947 NETED S ATES 2,430,074 FAN CONSTRUCTION Arthur F. OConnor, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, a corporation of Illinois 7 Claims.

This invention relates to fan constructions and l more particularly to air circulating fans of the type used in railway refrigerator cars and the like.

For railway refrigerator car uses, the fan is normally driven by a power take-olf mechanism operated from the car wheel, so that the fan must be able to deliver air in the desired direction regardless of the direction of fan rotation. It is furthermore desirable that fans of this type be controllable so that the direction of air delivery can be reversed to accommodate different operating conditions, as, for example, when the car is used as a ventilated car. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a fan construction which satisfies all of these requirements.

Another object is to provide a fan construction in which the direction of air delivery can be controlled by turning a housing or shroud around the fan blades.

Still another object is to provide a fan construction in which the housing is rotatably supported on the main fan shaft and can be turned through a rack and pinion mechanism.

A further object is to provide a fan construction formed in a hollow beam adapted to support or to provide a part of the lading floor of the car and in which the fan can be controlled to circulate air in either direction through the beam.

A still further object is to provide a fan construction including a plurality of fan units simultaneously controllable to reverse the direction of air circulation.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from `the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of a fan construction embodying the invention, with parts in section; and

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken centrally through one f the sets of fan blades of Figure l.

The construction illustrated in the drawing comprises a hollow box-like beam having a bottom plate E!! and a top plate II connected to the bottom plate and supported thereon by a series of transverse webs I2. As shown, the top plate has side flanges turned down at the opposite edges thereof, the lower edges of which are connected by guide plates I3 to the under part of the top plate. The beam, as shown, may be of the same height as the iioor or lading rack in a refrigerator 2 car, to form a part of the rack or to act as a support for the rack.

The fan construction proper comprises an elongated shaft I 4 extending centrally through the beam and driven by a pulley I5. The shaft may be supported on pillow blocks or, as shown, on bearings I6 in the ends of the beam and in the Webs I2. At spaced points in its length the shaft I4 carries hubs Il which are rigidly secured to the shaft and each of which supports a set of radially-extending blades I8.

To control the direction ofair discharge by the blades I8, a housing or shroud is provided comprising an arcuate plate I9 substantially semicylindrical and of a length to encircle approximately half of the periphery 0f the blades. At its edges the plate I9 may be turned down to form side flanges 2l partially overlying the ends of the blades. The shroud or housing I9 is supported for rotation about the shaft It by means of co1- lars 22 rotatably encircling the shaft and connected to the housing by rods or bars 23. With this construction the housing may be turned freely about the shaft so that the open side of the housing may register selectively with one or the other of the open sides of the beam. Movement of the housing is preferably limited by a iixed stop 24 carried by the bottom plate Ii) to engage one end or the other'of the housing, thereby to insure proper positioning of the housing to discharge air through one side or the other of the beam.

To turn the housing an annular rack 25 is secured to one side thereof and is adapted to mesh with a pinion 26, slidably supported on a control shaft 2l which may be a square or of other noncircular section. The control shaft extends through the beam at one side of the fan housing and is rotatably supported in brackets 28 in the beam by means of thimbles 29, slidably engaging the shaft and rotatable in the brackets. The pinions 26 are urged against the housings and into mesh With the racks by springs 3| seating against the pinions and thimbles 29. These springs press the pinions against the sides of the housings and urge the housings axially of the shaft so that one of the collars 22 will engage one end of the hub I'I properly to position the housing relative to the sets of fan blades. The shaft 2l' may be turned through any desired control mechanism such asa shaft extending through the side wall of the car to carry a hand wheel and operating gearing engaging a pinion 32 on one end of the shaft.

In operation with the housing turned to the position shown in Figure 2, air will be drawn in from one side of the beam around the ends of the housing and axially into the fan blades. The housing will direct the air so that the blades will discharge it through the left side of the beam, creating the circulation in the car from the right to the left of the beam. To reverse the direction of air circulation, ,the shaft 21 ,rmay ,be turned simultaneously'tofturn-the several 'fan housings through the pinions 2B so that the left sides of the blades will be enclosed and the right sides will be open. At this time, the air will be circulatedrin@ the same manner from the left to the right side of the beam.

While one embodiment ofz'thefinvention-has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that it is illustrativepnly andisgnQt-r intended to be a denition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for thisspurposeto the appended claims.Y

Whatfs lclairned Y l. A fan construction oomprisingea`,rotatable shaft, :a set tof :substantially` radial blades f on: Ythe shaft,u,a :substantially semis-circular housing partially `'encircling the blades;` means :mounting the housings for .rotation about the shaft ::axis an arcuate:raCkzcarPied by 'the housing, a ,control shaft extending. adjacentnthefhousing, a pin-.ion slidableqon theicontrol shaftrand a. spring zurging the piniony :toward zthe rhousingito r-mesh fwtlr the rack.

2. Aifaneconstruction comprisinga hollowibeam having.: closed. (top and :bottomzand'open sides, a rotatable z shaft z .extending lengthwise centrally throughthe .beam; .a fhubxonfthe shaft,4` a rset i ofsubstantially -:retinal blades ',carried :by the. hub, as, substantiallysenin-circular housing partially encirclingz'the `blades-.and .leavdngg a peripheral opening through wh'olrair is forcedfby the blades, said housingrbeinglopeniat its endsto-proyide air inlets,.means :includingscollars around fthe. shaft adjacent i-theends .oi the hub-rotatably to. sup,- port :the housing, and means :to turn-fthe 'housing around the :shaft to;.controlathesdirectionf of siair delivery `by .the f blades.

:3.:A fansconstnuction .comprising a rotatable shafit, ashub.. on the shaft, azsetfof substantially radial eblades fcarried-by therhub,- a substantially semiacircular housing.; partially y encircling they blades and leayingaperpheral opening'fthrough whickrxair fis ,forced-by :the blades, means lincluding collars around the shaft adjacent .the ends of the hub rotatably-toasupport:the housing, an

arcuate:rackI :secured to fthe, housing, a ..eontrol Shaft. :extending-adjacent :the housing, a pinion slida'bleiontthe 'control shat; and a: spring urging the pin-ion. toward; the housing to mesh'- with* tthe rackaandfurgingithewhousing to Va :position in which1one -:of f the l.colla-rs engages an ,end a of. the hull;V

4.LA fanzconstruction/comprising a hollow :beam having .a-zclosedfbottom-a closed :top and lopen sides, a rotatable shaft extending lengthwise centrally through the beam, a hub on the shaft, a set of substantially radial blades carried by the hub, a substantially semicircular housing extending partially around the blades having an open side to register selectively with the open sides of the beam, the housing being open at its ends to pro- :vdeaair inlets, means mounting the housing for turningin the beam about the axis of the shaft, and control means carried by the beam to turn the housing.

y5. Afan construction comprising a hollow beam having open sides, a rotatable shaft extending lengthwise centrally Athrough the beam, a hub -on-fthefshaf-t, a set cof substantially radial blades carried ASby thehub, a substantially semicircular housingaextend-ing,partially around the blades having an open side to register selectively with theaopen sides of the beam, means including collars rotatably supported on the shaft adjacent thes ends ;of;the:hub :to support fthe housing for turningaboutxthe axis pof the 1 shaft, a control shaft :extendingxhrough 1the beam .adjacent the housing, a pinion slidable on the control shaft, andgacspzing'urgingfthe pinion toward :the housrlgztomesh withthe rack andiurging 'theihousing toiarposition inf-,whichnne of fthe collars `engages anremi of athehub'..

6,.; A fan; construction comprising van .elongated hollow -beam V'haying open sides, anY elongated sha'f-tzextending centrally through the beam, a plunality :ofspaced :hubs fcarried by .the shaft, a setofV vsubstantial-lyradial fanblades ,carried by eaohaof the ghubs; ahousing having one open side rotatably .-mountedalioundgeach set ofY blades, the housings -0pening aat :their Yends Vinto the spaces between the sets of blades, and means for simultaneously-fturningzthe housings.

A :fan 1constrlictionA comprising Ean `elongated hollowbeamfhaving open sides, anV elongated shaft extending centrally through the beamVa-plurality car-spaced hubs Vcarriedfby the shaft, a set of sub srntally 'radial fantblades. carried by each of the-hubs, a-:housing having .one open side rotatably mounted: around each set of blades, arcuate raeksarred: bytherhousings, a control shaft extending through zthebeam, and :pinions -on .the control shaft `frneshing' with the racks for Y'turning the-housings simultaneously;

ARTHUR F. lOCONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED` The-.following references are of record in the le of this patent:

.UNITED .STATES PATENTS Number: Name Date 2,2l2,^l'l3v Couch Aug. 20, 1940 2,335,437 Morgan'et al. Nov. 30, 1943 2,863,191' Miller Nov. 2l, 1944 2,373,497 Paiste s Apr. 10`, 1945 

